Bottle handling device



g -f w. w. M CULLOC H I BOTTLE HANDLING DEVICE Flled June 13, 1942 ZSheets-Sheet l Aug. 1, 1944.

w. w. M CULLOCH BOTTLE HANDLING DEVICE Filed June 13, 1942 2 Sheets$heet 2 Patented Aug. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES ,PATE

NT] OFFICE BOTTLE HANDLING'DEVICE Y I p William vvrensh u McCullochpBaltimore, Md. 1

Application June 13, 1942; Serial No. 446,880

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the handling of hottles and similar containers, and has specific application in the beverage industry.

It is the usual custom for bottlers of soft drinks, beer, and other potable beverages to merchandise same in glass containers which are susceptible of sterilizing process usually involving theme of repeated sprays of water, andexposure to a caustic, chlorine, or other suitable germicidal solution, after which they are washed with clean water and removed from the-soaker, they then being prepared'to again be filled with a beverage intended for human consumption. 7

' It is apparent that in modern bottlingplants,

turning out hundreds of thousands of units each day, the speed at which many containers must thus be sterilized is a factor that must be continuously reckoned with, and so-called soaker feeders often find themselves taxed to the utmost in handling incoming bottles and keeping a suitable flow of clean containers moving to the filling machines. A dexterous feeder uses both of his hands in rapidly handling six bottles at a time, but even this is often not sufiicient, and of course there is considerable strain'to the operator, and potential damage to his hands in this proceeding.

.An object of this invention is to provide a bottle handling device whereby a soaker feeder may handle a plurality of bottles in a single movement, and without giving each container individual attention as is required in the case of completely manual feeding.

Another object is to provide a device of the foregoing type which is simple in operation.

A still further object is to provide a feeder which is economical to construct and which has a minimum of moving parts to get out of order.

Another object is to provide efficiency in operation of such a device.

These and other objects made apparent throughout the further progress of this specification are accomplished by means of my improved bottle handling device, a full and complete understanding of which is facilitated by reference to the drawings herein, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of my invention in operation, I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the structure illustrated'inFig. 1, the bottles and operator's hands not appearing,

Fig. 3 is an end view of thestructure shown in Fig. 2;

"Fig; 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 in which the device has been actuated to grasp the necks of bottles, 1

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view illustrating the specific mechanism whereby my bottle han- 'dling device is operated; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view 15 clarifying the s'tructureiofsaid operating mechtaken along the line 6+6 of Fig. 2, and further anism.

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end View of the structure shown in Fig. 7. Y i Fig. 9 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 8, same being taken along the line 9-9 of said figure. a

Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view, showing in detail certain elements of this modification of my invention.

Fig. 11 isa further enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken along the:line ll-l| of Fig. 9, looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 12 is: an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view, illustrating certain features of the instant'structure.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1: 7 It will be apparent that the instant device consists of. four. bars, I0, H, H and I3, fabricated from any. suitable material, and having a series of curved indentations therein, such as M, I5, 16 and 11, said indentations being oppositely disposed, and formed on a radius corresponding to or slightly larger than the neck of a conventional bottle intended to be handled. Said notches or indentations are likewise preferably spaced in a manner corresponding to the usual compartments of cases used in carrying beverages, this spacing usually corresponding to the maximum over-all thickness of the container plus what additional space may be consumed by the partition separating such from the next adj acent compartment in the shell.

It will be noted that bars l0 and I2 are rigidly mounted together through the agency of rods l8 which are fixedly anchored in retaining and reinforcing U-shaped metal straps I9, which in turn are associated with their respective bars as by means of screws 20. Springs 2i normally keep said bars spaced apart, see for example Fig. 3.

Bars II and 13 are mounted in the same manner as are bars Ill and I2, it being apparent, however, that rod 22 in passing through bar I2, is on a higher plane than rod l8 which similarly passes through bar H in reaching its anchorage on the opposite side of I2, 7

A pair of operating and handle members 23 and 24 are pivoted as at 25, so that upon pressure being exerted on cushioning members 25, so as to bring the tops of said handles together, the lower portions thereof will be spread outwardly; Said lower portions may be connected by apair of horizontally extending reinforcing bars 26 and 21; and as said members are thus pushed or" forced apart, they in turn cause bars and II, and I2 and [3, to be brought together, said bars sliding easily on rods 18 and 22, the resistance of springs 2| being overcome in such movement.

From the foregoing it is believed that the operation of my device willbe obvious to those skilled in the art, it being apparent that it is only necessary to place the feeder, in" its normal or ,open state, over the necks of a series of bottles/such as 28, and then bring handles 23 and '24 together, to cause bars III et al., in conjunction with notches I4, I5, 16 and IT, to securely and, firmly grasp the necks of said containers, whereupon it is possible for an operator to handle a multiplicity of receptacles, as for example in feeding a soaker, without giving each individual attention. In the drawings twelve bottlesare illustrated thus being handled, but a greater, or a lesser, number of containers is obviously susceptible to like manipulation.

. A modification of the instant deviec isshown in Figs. '7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in which a series of bars 29, 30, 3| and 32, having oppositely disposed notches or indentations 33, 34,35 and 36 are slideably mounted upon transverse rods 31, said bars being normally heldapart through, the action of springs 38. p

A handle member39, having holding elements .40, is fixedly mounted; on rods 31 through downwardly extending members 4|.

An actuating member 42 slideably engages 4| on its inner sides, through the agencyof atracklike structure 43, formed by oppositelyextending segments on said element .42, and a .rod' 44 is anchored in the two lower ends of 12.- .A plurality of hinge-like elements .45 and 46- are rotatably mountedon rod 44, and are held in anormally vertical position through'spring 41, opposite "ends of which engage elements 45 and 16,125 at 48 and 49, theresulting structure representing in me- In operation it will be apparent that upon placing the device over the necks of a series of bottles 50 and moving element 42 upwardly, that elements and 46, nesting in indentations 5| and 52 (Fig. 11) of bars 30 and 3i, will be forced outwardly, and in so moving, will spread or separate said bars in such a manner as to bring them securely into engagement with the necks of bottles 5|], whereupon the containers may be simultaneously handled in any desired manner.

:Once the toggle has thus been actuated, a firm grasp is retained upon the bottles with little effort on the part of the operator, the mechanical principle present insuring this result.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have shown and described a labor-saving device anda modification thereof, which is simple to operate, economical to; manufacture, and thoroughly desirable for its intended purpose. That the capacity of a worker feeding a soaker is approximately doubled in employing my invention. That said structure is substantially fifool proof, and represents a material contribution to the art.

It will be further apparent that while I have described a preferred form of my invention, and a modification thereof, that I do not intend to limit myself thereby, but contemplate that the appended claims shall be given a construction,

interpretation, and scope, fairly in keeping with my contribution.

I claim: I 1. In adevice of the character described, a plurality of bars, oppositely disposed indentations ftherein, adjacent pairs of said bars being slideably mounted on transverse rods, spring means normally holding said bars in spaced relation- .ship and expansible handle means for forcing rality of bars having oppositely disposed indentations therein, transverse rods passed through said bars, said rods holding alternate bars in fixed relationship to each other and other alter- .nate bars being slideably mounted on said rods,

. spring means normally holding said bars apart,

indentations.

WILLIAM WRENSHALL MCCULLOCH. 

